WEIGHT-LOSS CHALLENGE: END OF WEEK THREE

Background

You can read all about the background to my weight-loss challenge from my previous blog however the short summary is that I'm trying to lose two stone in 13 weeks starting on 14th September and ending with the final weigh-in on 14th December. My starting weight on 14th September was 13 stone 12 pounds, after week one I weighed in at 13 stone 7.5 pounds, and after week two I weighed in at 13 stone 5.5 pounds.

This Week's Update (Week Three)

This week has been the biggest challenge so far. Off the back of last week's illness, feeling somewhat disconnected from the world due to the coronavirus lockdown, and contending with what would have been the birthday of my late father (who died last year), I have been suffering from a cocktail of depression and grief.

The result is that I've been off work and inevitably I have slept more than I should, eaten more than I should, and have self-medicated with alcohol on occasions to get through the week. All of this clearly isn't ideal when trying to reduce calorie intake and burn calories.

On the plus side, despite a complete lack of drive and energy, and under difficult circumstances with a self-made excuse readily available, I have actually done a decent amount of exercise this week; two intense karate classes, a 20km bike ride (my bum still aches), and two 6km walks. I'm genuinely proud of myself as it would have been easy and even understandable if I had dropped these activities this week but I'm glad I didn't.

This Week's Results (Week Three)

Like last week I I felt nervous before stepping onto the scales this week simply because I was convinced that despite doing a decent amount of exercise I must have consumed more calories than I'd burnt and that this would result in a gain in weight rather than a deficit. However, thankfully I'm pleased to say that I weighed in at 13 stone 5 pounds meaning that I've lost half a pound this week.

That means that in the first three weeks of my weight-loss challenge I've lost 7 pounds in total, which is exactly half a stone (apologies again for the photo of my Fred Flinstone feet). This means that I'm still on track to achieve a two-stone weight-loss within 13 weeks.

Losing half a pound in a week may seem trivial but for me personally this is the achievement I'm most proud of. Continuing the momentum, even slightly, in the face of this week's adversity means a lot to me, especially as I know that I'm still on track towards my goal despite having a week of physical illness followed by a week of mental health related issues. The road ahead can only get easier so it makes me more confident and more determined to get to that target.

Huge shout out to my wife too, for her amazing support this week, and always.

Donations for a Good Cause

In a shameless plug I'm also doing this to raise money for a good cause, Mental Health UK. If you'd like to offer a small donation all money will go directly to Mental Health UK and I would be eternally grateful. The link to my JustGiving page is below:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rob-gore2

Thanks for reading

Rob